CUHK Becomes Latest Hotspot For Mainland Tourists

Mainland tourists appear to have discovered a new top attraction in Hong Kong as they shell out hundreds of dollars to wander around the Sha Tin campus of Chinese University.

The students' union has complained that the canteens on campus are a big hit all of a sudden, with another draw appearing to be the university's shuttle buses.

"The union stresses that our campus is not a tourist spot, but a place where we perform research, study and live,” a statement said on Facebook.

It added that life on campus is being seriously disrupted and the university had told the union that no applications have been received from tour groups. The management agreed to follow up on the matter, the union said.

The website of a local travel agency shows tours of the university are being offered for HK$2,350. For that price, groups of up to five people will be picked up and taken to the campus, although any meals are not included.

Another company is offering tours of CUHK, the University of Hong Kong and the University of Science and Technology for HK$125 per person. The cost includes a lunch of chicken leg and rice, complete with a premium soya sauce.

In 2014, groups of mainland tourists were accused of causing chaos at Thailand's Chiang Mai University, with some even sneaking into lectures.

The university ended up on the tourists' travel itineraries after the popular mainland film "Lost In Thailand" was partly shot on the campus.

The influx led to university officials imposing fines on any unwelcome visitors found.